1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a dental implant assembly that can be attached to a bone of a person.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dental implants of numerous and varying designs have existed for many years. Many prior art dental implants include tooth-replicating devices that are attached inside a patient's mouth to replace lost teeth and to restore natural dental function. Force distributing dental implants were designed to improve the durability and life of implants by allowing the tooth-replicating device to move relative to the anchor, which is engaged with the patient's bone.
Such a force distributing dental implant assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,505, issued on Sep. 21, 1999, in the name of one of the inventors herein. The force distributing assembly of the '505 patent includes an anchor body having an anchor pocket and an outer attachment surface for engaging the bone. The assembly also includes a core body disposed in the anchor pocket for engaging a tooth-replicating device. The core body and the anchor body are held together by a threaded fixation means engaging the inner wall of the anchor pocket.